“A man of sound political instincts can no more subscribe to the doctrine of absolute independence of party on the one hand than to that of unquestioning party alliance on the other.”

Atlantic Monthly, Alabama, August, 1894

“There never can be, there never will be a good government in which the average citizen is not a decent man in private life.”

Speech in Montgomery, Alabama, October 24, 1905

“Wise legislation is vitally important, but honest administration is even more important.”

Speech in Philadelphia, PA, June 21, 1900

“Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing and common sense.”

Speech at the New York State Fair, September 7, 1907

“In any republic courage is a prime necessity for the average citizen.”

Speech in Cambridge, MA, February 23, 1907

“Each of us has not only his duty to himself, his family, and his neighbors, but to his duty to the State and to the nation.”

Speech in Colorado Springs, CO, August 2, 1901

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

Speech in Syracuse, NY, September 7, 1903

“The greatest service this nation can render to righteousness is to behave with scrupulous justice to other nations.”

Outlook
September 9, 1911

“In achieving good government the fundamental factor must be the character of the average citizen.”

Speech in Antietam, MD
September 17, 1903

“There is not a man of us here who does not at times need a helping hand to be stretched out to him, and then shame upon him who will not stretch out the helping hand to his brother.”

Speech in Pasadena, CA
May 8, 1903

“The government is us; we are the government, you and I.”

Speech in Asheville, NC
September 9, 1902

“A self respecting man must insist on his rights; otherwise he neither deserves nor receives the respect of others.”

Ladies Home Journal
November 1916